Orofacial somatosensory abilities in speech motor control: A taxonomic framework and its application to stuttering...

A key driver of scientific progress is the ability to decompose complex domains into well-defined components that can be systematically examined and integrated into broader explanatory frameworks. However, research on orofacial somatosensation in speech motor control has so far mostly relied on relatively broad and underspecified constructs. Here, we propose a taxonomic framework designed to support more precise, systematic, and information-processing-oriented terminology in the field.

The framework is organized along two axes: (1) the types of somatosensory information relevant to speech motor control-further specified into origin (articulatory structure), modality (proprioceptive or tactile), and content (spatial, temporal, or force-related) dimensions-and (2) the types of sensory processing abilities-characterized by functional operations (detection, estimation, discrimination), and efficiency dimensions (correctness, latency, and robustness). The framework's utility is illustrated through a structured review of research on orofacial somatosensation in stuttering.

The proposed framework offers a tool for organizing and comparing studies and methodologies investigating elementary orofacial somatosensory abilities in speech. Applied to the literature on stuttering, it reveals an uneven distribution of research efforts and identifies several underexplored areas.

The proposed framework is intended as a first step toward the development of a functional and information-processing-oriented taxonomy of orofacial somatosensory processing in speech motor control.